After

Taking a mature topic and addressing it at the level at which a young adult can understand it is no small feat---yet, Efaw manages to do just that. I was impressed by the thorough research that went into this book, and the realistic display of emotion and experience portrayed. A fabulous read! As a fan of both of Efaw's books, I look forward with great anticipation to Efaw's next novel.

I have a test that I put to authors who are new to me. I open the book to a random chapter in the middle and read it. If, at the end, I am not curious about what came before and what follows I put the book back on the shelf and try another. Buying a book can take me hours. Amy Efaw's novel, AFTER, passed my "test" so I bought it and loved it. Efaw is a wonderful story teller who skilfully uses dialogue to make the characters come alive. This creates the feeling of watching a well crafted stage play. The story in AFTER was a difficult topic but was told with passion. My only critical comment is that the novel ended too soon. It left me wanting more. AFTER should be required reading for any parent of a teenaged girl. I eagerly await Amy Efaw's next novel.

Amy Efaw's book After is thought provoking tale of innocent teenage sex spiraling into a tragedy with a complicated outcome. Devon Davenport is a teenager "on track" to being a sucessful adult. She has managed to self motivate and excel at sports and school despite absent parents. Her life is going well until she makes a stupid decision and has unprotected sex. Despite her obvious pregnancy symptoms, Devon retreats into an unimaginable denial and avoids the reality of her pregnancy. Devon denies being pregnant until she gives birth in her apartment bathroom and, in a hazy moment of horror and panic, throws her newborn in a dumpster. Instead of expounding on the horror of the topic, Efaw carefully explores the psychological aspects that lead up to the event. She allows the reader to make their own decision about Devon as a human being. Surprisingly, it is hard not to feel compassionate for Devon even though she has committed such a despicable act. Efaw expertly walks the reader through the legal and moral ramifications of Devons actions. As Devon is subjected to the harsh reality of the juvenile court system and the possibility of life imprisonment, the reader is able to watch her come to terms with her actions and beliefs. After is well written and captivating. I would recommend this to young adults and parents of young adults.

The sine qua non of good literature is its ability to spark debate. AFTER meets that test. Look at the reviews. Readers feel strongly about the issues, presented so ably by author, Amy Efaw. In short, the book is the story of a girl who is in denial about her pregnancy, gives birth, but then throws her newborn in the trash. Dr. Phillip Resnick--the expert who coined the term "neonaticide"--read the book and opined that AFTER "provides a poignant and realistic look into the mind of a desperate teenage girl who was charged with attempting to kill her newborn baby." The phenomenon is real and tragic--a simple internet search showed me that. What I wasn't prepared for in AFTER was the empathetic look at the perpetrator, Devon. I'm a big self-responsibility person--right is right and wrong is wrong. But what Efaw does in AFTER is to turn preconceptions on their head. As is usually the case with difficult and emotionally charged issues, the reality is more nuanced and complex than we first think. Efaw fleshes out the persona of Devon (and by extension many other similarly situated girls) with vivid, memorable writing. We get watch as Devon comes to terms her denial, it roots, and the aftermath. We also get a glimpse of a judicial system that is still struggling to find a rubric by which to handle such cases. This is a book to watch. Starred review from School Library Journal. Recently named in the Winston-Salem Journal as the Best All-Round YA book of the year. Expect more awards to come.